Cell-case machine.



8 0 9 1 3 m, A M D E T N H. N MA M R A T s L & S I E W D W A CELL CASE MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED MAR. 10, 1906.

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No. 880,845., PATENTED MAR. s, 1908.

A. w. 1). WBIS & J.STARMAN.

CELL CASE MACHINE.

APPLICATION TILED MAR. 10, 1906.

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, PATENTED MAR. 3, 1908. A. w. D. WEIS & J. STARMAN.

CELL CASE MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED MAR. 10, 1906.

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INo. 880,845.

UNITED STATES PATENT o-FFIoE.

' ALWIX 1).WEIS, OF \\'.-\'l.lltT.O(), AND JOSEPH STA RMAN, OF CEDAR RAPIDS, IOWA; SAID STARMAN'ASSIGNOR TO SAID \VEIS.

CELL-CASE MACHINE.

. States, residing at Waterloo, in the county of Blackhawk and State of Iowa, and (.cdar Raplds, '1n the county of Linn and State of Iowa, have invented certam new and useful Improvements in (ell-Case Machines, of

which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to machines for making cell case commonly known as eggcase fillers and has for its object to produce a machine adapted to automatically assemble the fourteen strips of strawboard commonlv used in a commercial cell-case, and .to

do this rapidly,- inexpensively and in a neat and workmanlike manner. I

The nature of the invention willbe fully hereinafter set forth, reference being-had to the drawings forming a part. of this specification, in which Figure 1 is an end view of the machine which assembles. the punehed strips to form acell-case. Fig. 2 is a side view of the same as seen in the line a I), "looking downwardly. Fig. 3 is a back view of the upper portion of the machine frame shown at the left in Fig. 2, and shows the spring connections of thedetents for the punched strawboard, to be fully described later. Fig. .4 is a vertical section central to this frame, showing the sheet-carriers, feed mechanism, etc. Fig.15 is a section of the same in the line (l of Fig. 4, and shows a plan .view of the same internal mechanism. Fig. 6 is a fragmentary sectional view of the cutter heads, showing themounting of the same. Fig. 7 is a fragmentary detail showing on an enlarged scale the assembling mechanism inthe act of matching together two sets of cell-case sheets before they are finally cut off. a Fig. 8'is a side view of parts ust below it in Fig. 7. I

The machine is designed to assemble simultaneously, in position to be interlocked by simply pressing together, the notched ends of fourteen previously punched sheets of strawboard, or other suitable cell-case .material, and to sever the terminal strip from the parent sheet when so intermatched. The machine also discharges the severed product from between the two assembling heads, and in a subsequent operation, exter 4 hell to this machine, the intermatched strips are lpressed completely together and in their iina position are interlocked. In the order Specification of Letters Patent. Application file d March 10. 1906. Serial No. 305.420.

Patented March 3, 1908.

of time this operation is preceded by .the punching of the sheets which may be presented to the assembler from a series of rolls of punched paper, or otherwise,-the mounting of the material for the cell-cases being very simple, and forming no essential feature of this invention.

Referring now to Fig. 1', the numeral 1 denotes a heavy bed-plate or base suitably anchored to give stability to a machine hav-' ing reciprocating parts and running at quite a high speed. 011 this base are mounted two sector-shaped frames numbered 2 and 3, respectively, the two members of each frame being somewhat unlike, as will be seen. To the heads of these frames, which incline toward each other-at a right angle, are mounted. frames 4 4, which contain the sheet carrying and assembling mechanism, to be described hereafter. As seen by reference to Fig. L2, these frames stand at right angles to each'other, endwise, and are separated from .each other a space somewhat more than the.

depth of the cell-case as cut off.

The assembling and cut-off mechanism appears in Figs. 4 to 7 inclusive. 5 secured to the frames 4 are mounted crossheads 6 adapted to move back and forth a distance considerably greater than the width of a cell-case strip. The crossheads are connected by cross-bars 7 separated to allow the perforated sheets A or B to pass between them. To these cross-bars are attached for- On guides wardly extending fingers 8 which hold the sheet perfectly true, and in the matching operation hold it close'to the extreme. forward edge, as will be explained presently. The cross-bars also carry pivoted dogs 10, which aline with perforations in the sheet,- and in the forward. movement of the crosshead engage with such perforations at their notched forward ends, and sofecd the sheet forward to matching position... The dog's' are best provided with springs 11, so that their engagement with theperforations does not depend entirely upon gravity.

Back of the crosshead in each frame is .a grid formed of vertical bars 12 bracketed to the guides 5, and cross-bars 13, separated to allow the-sheets to pass between. them. To these cross-bars are also attached guidefingers l4 alternating with the guide-fingers 8, as shown in Fig. 5. These stationary fingers aline with the feed dogs, and extend forward to points somewhat in advance of the the frame, as by brackets 16.

This superfluous movement of the crosshead consumes enough time to admit of the use of crank motion to throw it,- instead of cams, with the increase of'speed'implied thereby, and allows for the necessary movements of the machine in performing other operations.

To ease'the crossheads at terminal positions dash-pots 15 are suitably secured to In these play i I plunger s 17 attached to'stems 18, which are the perforated sheets. I

threaded for adjustment in bridges. 19'connecting the crossheads outside 7 Near the inner side of each frame is the cutoff mechanism. Fixed shear-plates 20 have their ends seated in notches 21 in the sides of the frames. To these are secured the lower shear blades 22. At each end of the fixed plate is a hole 23 to allow for the passage of clamp-rods 24 and their inclosinthimbles 25,. between which are held the s ear-heads 26, bein drawn tightly. in lace by nuts .27.

, wardly pressing springs 29 to hold the per-.

To the t icker inner edge'o these plates are attached the shear blades 28, which are made wide enough to overlap the edges of the fixed plates above, and have their upper edges eveled, as shown in Fig. 6. Thisprevents any partof the cut-off cell case from slipping back between the shearblades, and gives a practically smooth surface each side, between which the cell-case is easily e'ected, and without injury. The shear hea s 26 arethinned backwardlyto give plenty of room for the guide fingers, and are provided with downforated sheet flat on the lower shear-plate and prevent its'edge from" springing up ,to

catch on the upper shear-blade.

'As above noted, the guide fingers move much farther than the width of the cell stri The sheet, however, does not move bac with the fingers, but is held in the cutoff position, practically, and the fingers strip back'over and under it.

inasmuch as the fingers in their forward movement pass bodil between the shear I blades, carrying the e ges of the sheets with perfect preclsion to the proper intermatch-' mg positions, and of course they must retreat before the cut-off takes place. I Means are therefore provided to hold the sheet .while the fingers strip back. This device is clearly shown in Fig. 7. 'Just back of each .shear head is a rock-shaft 30iieach provided with a number of 'detent hoo s 31 to engage perforations in the sheet. -detents alternate with the the paths of centric 47 connecting b I In fact this movement takes place before the cut-off, 55

a revolution.

In ractice these eed dogs, as shown. -At each end each shaft is provided with a short crank. To each one of these cranks connects a spring 32 (see also Fig. 3), which tends to draw the vdetent down to sheet-holding position. The cranks at the other end (see Fig. 2) have each a lateral wrist-pin to engage a notched slide-bar 33. This bar is linked to a lever 34; and this in turn, by an adjustable link 35, to a bell crank lever 36. (See also Fig. 4.) Pivoted to one arm of this bell-crank is'a wrist- Fig. 1.) At the lower end this diagonal shaft (one foreach half of the machine) engages by miter gears 41 with the main horizontal shaft 42 mounted in bearings 43 on the bed-plate of the machine.

In Fig. 4 the cut-off drive is also shown.

The clamp rods 24 are coupled to levers 44 ivoted at 45, and at their opposite ends the levers connect suitably with eccentrics 46 secured to the same diagonal shafts. The use of eccentrics here, as elsewhere in the machine, instead of cams, makes it possible to run the machine at -a speed which cams would render-impossible.

As above noted, the feed crossheads are driven by rotary and not cam. motion. direct crank movement would involve a much longer stroke than is desirable or practicable at the speed at'which the machine runs. This Wlll be evidentfrom the fact that the. guide fingers are thrust between the cutting blades and beyond them about two inches, and must be Withdrawn before the blades, which open not one fourth that distance, close to cut the sheet.

mechanism by which this operation is effected, with only a moderate stroke of the crosshead, is shown in Fig. 2. Near each end of the diagonal shaft 1s secured an ecits strap and rod 48 with one wrist 49 o a crank-wheel 50. Nearlylsopposite this wrist is another, 51, and t connects by an adjustable-link 52 with the cross-head. By means of this link the. feed may be accurately adjusted with respect to the cut-off, and the de th of intermatching varied at pleasure. he crank wheel moves through about one quarter of The drivin eccentric being set below '.the crank whee and the latter The bein horizontal to the cross-headwrist, it v will e evident that whilethe wrists are moving over the portion of the are indicated rapid, and this is the movement desired, as at this time the fingers are passing under the shear blade. It is possible, by this arrangement, to permit the rear wristto rock past the center, and bythis means any'desired amount of timemaybe consumed without addition to the stroke of the crosshead.

From the foregoing it will be seen that the operations requiring the movement of heavy parts, the cut-ofi and feed, are effected by simple rotary motion converted into reciproeating motion. The hold-back, or detent, above described, is, however, intermittent in its action. As described, the detents spring down to holding position. .The releasing movement is made by the push of the slip rod, the collar 38 being adjusted to the exact instant in the cycle of movements, and the release, as well as the enga ement, being almost instantaneous. 'At afi other times the proper action ofthe mold-back is not affected by the general movement of the machine. The grip of the holdbacks takes effect just as the sheet completes its feed, and should continue until the paper begins to feed forward, or very shortly before that action.

The final operation of the assembling ma chine is to eject the intermatched cell-case. In Figs. 1 and2 is shown the mechanism for this purpose. Pivoted at 53 is a sweep 54 adapted to play between the assembling heads "and in the path of the matched cellcase. A crank arm 55 connects by a rod 56 with a crank arm 57 on a rock shaft 58 turnin in standards '59. Another crank 60 ta es the motion of an eccentric 61 attached to the main shaft, through a connecting rod 62. The mechanism is timed to give a quick stroke and return just after thecut-ofl', it having the time of'a part of both the forward and the back stroke of the feed, or nearly so, in which to do its work. I

In Figs. 5 and 6 are shown the mountings of the shear heads 26. It will be seen that these are not guided by the rods 24 running through holes or thimbles in the fixed shearplates, a construction that is uncertain and short-lived in machines of this class. The holes in the fixed shear plates are bored somewhat larger than the thimbles playing through them, so as to allow for a little adjustment of the rods. The narrowed ends of the movable shear-plates are reinforced by wear-blocks 63, and these ends slide up and down in grooves 64 planed in the sides of the frame 4. To take up lost motion, as the parts wear, a hardened gib 65 is provided, adjustable by set-screws 66. This take-up also brings the shear blades into closer cut ting position. The considerable weight of the shear-plates and connected moving parts is compensated for by a strong spring 67 under a yoke 68 secured to the upper ends of the clamp-rods.

. a It is necessary at times to move the halves of the machine away from each other, so as to get access to the assembling mechanism ur ose the main frames are mounted to slide etween from theinnr end. For this guides 69 on the bed-plate. To each frame is attached a rack 70, and near each end of the bed-plate is a pinion 71 to engage the rack, secured'to a shaft-72 in bearings 73.

On the same shaft is a spanner wheel-74, and

out of register with the punching. The practical effect is found in clean and. accurate work, while the unusual speed of its action, to which reference has been made, renders it highly productive and satisfactory.

In the drawings the nature of the paper used is clearly indicated by a fragment shown in Fig. 7. This is supposed to be part of a web of previously punched paper, the mounting of which forms no part of this invention.

Having thus described our invention, what we claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is: I

1. In a cell-case machine provided with suitable actuating mechanism, and having sheet grouping frames separated a short dis-' tance from each other, and inclined substantially at right angles to each other, the combination of sheet-holding fingers, feed-dogs to engage perforations previously made in the sheets, shears to sever the strips when intermatched, and mechanism adapted to move said fingers forward and back between the shear-blades to guide the sheets in matching, substantially as set forth.

2. In a cell-case machine havin sheetgrouping, guiding and feeding mec anisms ip a separated pair and at substantially right angles to each other, fingers to hold and guide the matching edges of the sheets, a positive feed mechanism to engage the previously punched sheet, a suitable cut-off to sever the sheets after matching between the two parts of the machine, and mechanism adapted to actuate the feed, to carry the fingers and the sheet held by them to matching position between the shears.

3. In a cell-case machine arranged to deliver notched sheets 1n a pair 'of groups substantially at right angles to each other, the combination of fingers to hold and guide the sheets, feed-dogs to positively feed the sheets forward, means formoving the fingers and dogs simultaneously a greater distance than through a partof its course.

the limited movement of the sheet, a backstop for the sheet, and a shunt for the feed 11' a cell-case machine, the combination of a matcher or assembler comprising a pair of mechanisms arranged to deliver mto an open space between them, and at substantially right angles to each other, groups of notched sheets to form a complete cell-case, means for feeding the sheets to intermatching position, means for severing them when so matched, an ejector to discharge them from the open intermatehing space.

5. In a cell-case machine arranged to match at substantially right angles the slotted but unsevered sheet ends to form a complete cell-case, the combination of guiding fingers to hold the sheets in proper position, cooperating feed-dogs, means for simultaneously moving the fingers and do s through a greater space than the require feed, and auxiliary stationary fingers adapted to shunt the dogs during a part of their course.

6. In acell-case machine arranged to deliver and match slotted sheets in an open interspace in groups substantially at right angles to each other, the combination of cutoff mechanism substantially as described, a cross-head moving back and forth at right ho ding and guiding fingers attached to said crosshead and adapted 1n its forward movement to pass between the blades of the cutofi, sheet-feeding dogs pivotally connected with the crosshead, and means for reciprocatin said crosshead. 7. In a cell-case machine arranged to deliver and match slotted sheets in an open interspace, in groups substantially at right.

crosshead means for moving the: crank through about ninety degrees of are from the point of extreme possible backward movement, whereby the fingers move most rapidly near the extreme forward position, substantially as and for the pur 'ose set forth.

9. In a cell-case mac 'ne having cut-off mechanism, substantially as described, a reciprocating crosshead movingl transverse .to the cut-off, and provided wit sheet-feeding dogs and sheet-guiding fingers which in their angles to the movement of thecut-off, sheet forward movement pass between a; blades, of the cut-off, driving mechanism for the crosshead comprising 'a crank oscillating from an extreme. possible' backward position through about ninety degrees of arc, arotat-- ing crank and a connection between said oscillating crank andirotating crank.

10. In a cell-case machine having sheetguiding and feeding mechanism, a rotating crank adapted to impartuninterrupted reciprocating movement thereto, a hold backto enga e the sheet and means for bringing the hol back into such engagement during the entire movement of the feeding-mechanism, except -while feeding the sheet for- -ward.

' 11. In a cell-case machine, substantially as described, a hold-back, comprisin a rackshaft, dogs attached thereto tot e sheet,

a crank and a spring connection t erewith to hold the do s in gripping position, another, oppositely isposed crank, an eccentric, a s 'p-rod and actuating mechanism communicating with the latter crank, whereby the eccentric is made to act onthe rock-shaft through only a part of its revolution, as specified.

12. In a cell-case machine, the combination of a grid-like crosshead provided with guide-fingers and feed-dogs, means for reci rocating the crosshead, a grid back of tfie crosshead, with fingers extending between its bars and interspaced between the movable fingers, and adapted to shunt the feed-dogs out of'engagement with the sheet during a part of their movement.

13. In a cell-case machine having a gang. of stationary shear-plates, and in combination therewith, a gang of movable shearplates and blades-attached thereto the u per portions of said blades being extende to overlap the fixed. plates, as described.

14. In a cell-case machine, the combination of a gang of fixed shear-plates, a retaining frame therefor with guiding grooves for moving shear-plates, a gang "of movable shear-plates, with reinforced ends runnin in said grooves, adjusting gibs, rods, thim les and compression nuts to hold the movable plates, and a connection thereof with actuating mechanism, the rods and thimbles assing through holes in the fixed plates a 'ttle larger than the thimbles.

15. In a cell-case machine, the combination of a gang of fixed shear-plates, a retaining frame therefor with guiding grooves movable shearlates running in said grooves, parallel ro running through holes in the fixed and movable lates, thimbles and compressionnuts to hold the fixed plates in position, a yoke connecting-the r0 s, a counterbalance spring, end-extensions running in said grooves, and adjusting gibs, substantially as described.

16. In a cell-case machine, the combina- In testimony whereof we afiix our signation of cut-off mechanism, a feed crosshead tures in presence of two witnesses. and connected mechanism moving trans- T versely to the cut-off, a crankwhee1 and rock-shaft, mechanism to oscillate said r0ckshaft, and adjustable links connecting the Witnesses:

- crank with said crossheadwsubstantially as HENRY EAsKER,

and for the purpose set fort F. J. KUBIcEK. 

